Auracle
Gina Rosati
Release date: August 7th 2012
by Roaring Brook Press
16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she’s only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.
When there’s a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna’s body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn’t take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.
*A copy was provided by Macmillan for review purposes*
Utterly original and refreshing, Auracle is a breath of fresh air with its addicting premise full of riveting turns. This was even more so in my case where I hadn’t read the synopsis in ages and, therefore, had no idea what I was getting into, causing me to be shocked by the actual premise itself. It absolutely thrilled me.
Since I’m hoping you all get the same exciting experience of going in blind I won’t bring up the primary plot line, but work my way around it. What I can safely tell you, is it involves astral projection – which is fascinating in of itself. I was highly satisfied by the way the world building was brought up in this novel. We not only get great detail in how Anna goes about projecting and leaving her body, but the space – or dimension – she roams when she’s ethereal is solidly created with the inclusion of thought-provoking theoretical physics as part of the explanations. As a very skeptical and science minded person, I appreciate that Rosati didn’t leave it exclusively magical. As the plot progresses, we get even deeper into the stretches of Anna’s abilities, leaving me completely immersed in this story.
Anna’s witty and sharp narration is undemanding and strikingly easy to enjoy. The addition of a strong dysfunctional family dynamic is great for character building and to give an extra layer of depth to the story. With an alcoholic father, Anna is walking on eggshells in her home – using her astral projection as a way of escape. The side characters have a lot to offer to the story as well, with maybe the exception of Seth which, for having such a substantial part, is scarcely developed. The villain – Taylor – regardless of falling victim to the short skirts and rich attitude mean girl stereotype, plays her part particularly well in this story, especially towards the ending where she gets veritably crafty. Then there is Rei…
Surrounding a unique, fast-paced, page turning plot is a largely romantic substory. Rei is your very sweet, – albeit very perfect – love interest that didn’t quite make my heart flutter, but he enchanted me with his charisma and sincere nature. We get a budding romance that is both meaningful and sweet. Those who get enamoured by “boy next door” love stories will adore it!
Auracle brings something new and exciting to the overly crowded YA paranormal genre. Its suspense, humor, and dramatics dispenses an irresistible entertainment value that will undoubtedly keep you up until the early hours!
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